Safety device for checks



Aug. 14, 1923.

Filed Dec. 17, 3:91?

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.

MEL N0. E M

LARK-BLANK TRUST @QMPANY mm W g m i Z 5 WM Mm EIIEMEll-Il A EH5} BEBE; IIEJEIlIl-i EEE; EEIEIBE? EHEEEI a uzmna' I Imam"? LINDICATOR INDICATOR [W0 1' 2 a 4 5 A 50 WF 27 16 50 4x9 @m 27 8% 16 77a 66. 50 55 4.9 451 @D3@ 27 22 16 11 50 WW 4 9 K 3 E 27 16 Mu ll 50 9 30MB 27 16 l KNDICATOIR ENE mynamoR HJKS'JNDLBERG Patented Aug. 14, 1923.

UNITED; [stares intense I HERMAN K. smonsnno, or ant/Invests, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY nnvIcE roe CHECKS.

Application filed December 17, 1917. Serial No. 207,416.

tion.

Thisinvention relates to safety devices for checks, drafts, billsof'exchange, and other evidences of indebtedness, which are susceptible .of .being fraudulently raised.

It is the objectot my invention to prevent such fraudulent raising. r .i I In carrying out the invention I print upon the blank for. the cheoketc.,'a series ofsections which Ishall hereinafter denominate rectangles, each ot'w-hich contains atseries of subdivisions, whichul. shall=hereinatter denominate squares. I r

The firstrectangle is an indicator section and may contain that word for'convenience.

The other rectangles are related to the digits which determine the amount for which the instrument is drawn. F or example, the indicator rectangle maycontainany desired number of squares which will respectively cents" when so desired.

and successively contain the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, i, 5,.etc. The other rectangles must in number equal'th'e highestifigure in'the indicator rectangle, and belused to denote the amount of dollars for which theinstrument is drawn, as hereinafter explained. There may also bea rectangle Gto indicatethe amount of I contemplate, also, giving each rectangle a distinctive character" so that it will be impossible to cut out a-square'from one rectangle and place it in another. Such distinctive character may take the form of a different stippling in the various rectangles, or different color or shape, or the rectangles may be separately numbered in such a way that in cutting out any square a portion of the characteristic number must also be taken.

In the accompanying one sheet of drawing I have illustrated my invention so that it may be fully understood.

Figure 1 shows a check containing the invention in its simplest form, there being one indicator rectangle and five dollar rectangles.

Figure 2 shows the relative arrangement of the rectangles, apart from the rest of the check, the dollar rectangles being consecutively numbered, but the squares left blank, and the stippling of the numbers being varied. The figure is made on a larger scale than'Figure 1.

Figure 3, also on a larger scale, shows the rectangles in the same arrangement, with each square numbered, and an added rectangle with 20 squares for cents.

; Figure l, also on a larger scale, shows the same arrangement of rectangles, with the added centsv rectangle, the squares being all blank.

in these several figures: A represents the indicator section, or rectangle and contains the word indicator,.together with six squares, thefirst'square being for O, and the others for the digitsl, 2, 3, 4, 5. As the ordinary check usually has less than five places of dollars, five digits will in most cases, be

suliicient in the indicator, and I have accordingly carried it no further.

Below the indicator section are sections 13, G, D, E, F. These sections are intended for dollars only, as the amount of cents in a check is usually not important and not likely to be tampered with. Section B is for the first digit of dollars, section C for the second, and so on. Thecheck shown in Figure 1 is drawn for four hundred and ninety-five dollars. Hence there are three digits in the amount, to-wit 4:, 9 and 5. Accordingly the indicator section has the figure 3 obliterated.

As the first digit; of the dollars is 4:, the first dollar section, B, has the digit 4: obliterated, and, similarly, section C has the digit 9, and section D- the digit 5, obliterated. It will, now be impossible to change theamount. of this check except by cutting out and transposing squares from one section to another. To prevent this I pro-pose to give each section a characteristic appearance, so that any such transposition will be immediately apparent. One means of giving this characteristic appearance is shown in Figure 2. In Figure 2 each of the dollars sections is numbered, to correspond with the place of dollars which it represents, section B being numbered 1; section C, 2; and so on. As a further precaution these figures are stippled, and the stippling is of different character in the different figures. For greater clearness in the illustration the numbers in the squares are omitted in Figure 2. In fact the numbers in the squares may be omitted altogether if desired, and the digits determined by the count of the squares, but I prefer to Cir employ the numbers. The dollar sections, of course, each contain ten squares, numbered from 1 to 9 and 0, and for greater compactness I arrange the squares in two rows, one above the other. W here a cents section is used, it would contain twenty squares in two rows, one row for each place of cents, as shown in Figures 3 and i. In Figure 3 the amount indicated is $0.03 and in Figure 4- the amount $0.25, as shown by the obliterated squares.

The words rectangle and square as hereinbefore used are designatory merely and not specific as the shape of the partso de signed.

Having thus described my invention, and an embodiment ofit, in the full, clear and exact terms required by law, and knowing that it comprises novel, useful and valuable improvements in the art to which it pertains, I here state that I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement of the several parts, as herein set forth, as the same may be variously modified by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention.

that I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is the following, to-wit:-

1. An instrument of the character described having an indicator rectangle and a series of independently arranged auxiliary rectangles apart from each other, said last named rectangles being consecutively numbored 1, 2, 3,4, 5, and each number having a different characteristic appearance from the other whereby the substitution of a part of one rectangle from another will be immediately apparent.

2. An instrument of the character described, comprising a series of dollars and cents rectangles each divided into rows containing numbered spaces, an indicator rectangle containing a series of spaces numbered 1, 2,3, 41, 5, adapted'to have one of those spaces obliterated to correspond with the number of spaces obliterated in the series of dollars and cents rectangles and a zero in said indicator rectangle adapted to co-act at one time with said dollars and cents rectangles or either one of then independently.

3. An instrument of the character described, having an indicator rectangle, and a series of auxiliary rectangles each containing 10 divisions, each of said divisions presenting a difierent characteristic appearance from the other. I

4-. An instrument of the character described, having an indicator rectangle divided into subdivisions, and a series of aux.- iliary rectangles corresponding in number to the digital highest number of the indicator rectangle, each of said auxiliary rectangles divided into ten subdivisions, and each presenting a different characteristic appearance from the other.

5. An instrument of the character described, having an indicator rectangle vided into subdivisions, anda series of auxiliary rectangles corresponding in number to the subdivisions of theindicatorredtangle, each of said auxiliary rectangles .divided into ten subdivisions, the subdivisions of said indicator rectangle numbered zero and from one onward and the subdivisions of the auxiliary rectangles :numberedfin each rectangle :troml to 9 and .0, and each presenting a different characteristic appearance from the other. 7

6. An instrument of the .characterldescribed, havingan indicator rectangle, and a series 01"" auxiliary rectangles each containing 10 divisions, each of said auxiliary rec?- tangle being numbered consecutively, 'presenting thereby :a difi'erent -jcharacteristi. appearance from the others.

In testimony, that I ccl aimthe foregoing I have hereto set my [hand .in the. presence of two witnesses, this .Jlthdayni Dec, 1191.7.

HERMAN. K. sroLBnRe. 

